Man-catching tank



S. VALINSKI.

MAN CATCHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1921.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

a mzz'mh' S. VALINSKI.

MAN CATCHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 20. 1921.

1,392,095, PatentedSept. 27,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

avwawtoz warren STATES PATENT orrics.

STANLEY VALINSKI, Oil. HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAN-GATCHING TANK.

Application filed January 20, 1921. Serial No. 438,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY VALINSKI, a citizen of the United States,residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Man-Catching Tanks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable thers skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a man-catching tank and it is especially,although not necessarily, designed for use in banks for catching andholding burglars or the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of thisclass embodying a portable motor-driven armored tank or watch-box forthe watchman, this box being equipped with peep-holes, gun-openings andother conveniences, and having on its exterior novel means for grabbingand holding the thief until assistance arrives.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned class including the aforementioned constructional featurestogether with a steering device, inclosed means for actuating thecatching and holding device, a ventilator, and a novel signal deviceleading from the tank to a nearby police station or other point fromwhich assistance may be obtained.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the followingdescription.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordancewith this invention, the holding and catching device bein shown inineffective position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 looking at an opposite side of thetank and showing the catching and holding de vices in operativeposition.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken through the device.

Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 3 taken at right an les thereto.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail perspective views of the doors by means ofwhich entrance is gained to-thetank, and the automatically closing doorsfor the gun-openings.

' In carrying out the invention, I make use of a sheet metal tank orwatch-box some six or eight feet in height and of any suitable shape ordesign. This tank, as before intimated, is intended to be inhabited by awatchman and While they are not shown, suitable conveniences, such asseats and the like will be installed Within the tank. Also arrangedwithin the latter and near the bottom thereof is a platform 2 whichserves as the floor. Arranged beneath this floor is a suitable truckincluding a motor 3 and suitable driving gears 4 which impart motion tothe rear wheels 5. The front wheels, as usual, are steered by anysuitable mechanism 6 controlled from the interior of the box or tank bymeans of the handle 7. With this construction and arrangement, it willbe seen that by starting the motor, the tank may be moved from place toplace. At this point, I wish to state that any other cons'truction oftruck may be employed instead of the one shown and described. Thewatchman or other inhabitant of the tank enters the latter through adoor 8 in the rear side thereof. It is to be noted that this door 8 isretained closed by simple latch mechanism 9. A latch is employed so thatthe door may be quickly locked in case the tank is entered in a hurry.Arranged in the same side of the tank and adjacent the door 8 is anotherdoor 10 which instead of being retained closed by a latch, is held insuch a posltion by means of a key-controlled lock 11. It is to beunderstood that this door 10 is only to be used in case one of thehigher oflicials of'the bank, who holds the key, desires to enter thetank for any reason whatsoever. This door 10 may be used in instanceswhere the occupant of the watch-box or tank becomes injured from aburglars bullet, since entrance cannot be gained to the tank through thedoor 8. So that the occupant of the tank may see to the outside, Iprovide a. plurality of closely spaced peepholes 12 at many points inthe wall of the tank so that a view may be had from any point or angle.Also, I form in the wall of the tank at closely spaced points,gun-openings 13 so that in case it is necessary, the barrel of a gun maybe extended through one of these openings to shoot the burglar.

' ings 26 formlng a It is to be noted that these gun openings are shapedsomewhat likekey holes and not to interfere with the quick passage ofthe gun barrel therethrough. The reduced portion of the gun openlng issupposed to accommodate the end sight or other projections on the gunbarrel. Under normal circumstances, these openings are closed by meansof doors 14 which are retained in closed position, like the door 8, bysuitable latches 9. It is desired that these doors 14 closeautomatically and quickly, and for this reason, coiled springs 15 areassociated with the hinges thereof. While on these doors 14, I wish toalso call attention to the fact that they are equipped on their outerfaces with projections 16 of a shape corresponding to the gun openings13, these projections being adapted, as is obvious, to fit into thesegun openings when the doors 14 are closed. When the door is so closed,the outer faces of the projections become flush with the outer surfaceof the wall of the tank and it will not be easy to unhook the latch 9 orpry the door 0 en because of the use of these projections. The upperopen end of the tank is closed by a cap 17 formed with o enings 18 forpassage of air into the tank. S ould it be desired to close theseopenings 18, this may be done by moving the rotatably mounted shutters19, which are so shaped as to close these openings. If desired, asuitable latch 20 may be employed to retain the shutters in an open orclosed position and the outer ends of the shutters may move in guides21' to prevent such ends from being forced inwardly if an attempt ismade. In other words, these guides 21 serve primarily to increase therigidity of the structure. It is apparent that movement is imparted tothe shutters by means of a knob 22 depending into the tank.

One "of the most important features of the device is that it not onlyincludes this movable armored tank which protects the occupant and atthe same time permits him to attack the burglar by weapons or the like,but it includes a novel catching and holding device. By means of such adevice, the burglar may be chased, grabbed and held safely untilassistance arrives. While this catching and holding device may be of anyother construction, it preferably includes a pair of like foldableframes 23 made up of a plurality of longitudinally curved, ver-' ticallyspaced angle bars 24 adapted to be folded against the tank and hold thefugitive between them and the tank. These frames are rigidly mounted onvertically disposed rotary shafts 25 journaled in bearpart of thevertically spaced laterally extending brackets 27 on the tank 1. Anysuitable means, controlled from the interior of the tank, will beemployed to impart movement to the shafts bandits.

25. In the showing, I have merely disclosed a horizontally disposed rockshaft 28 journaled in bearing openings in the walls of the tank andcarrying at its opposite ends, beveled gears 29 meshing with similargears 30 on the shafts 25. This shaft 28 is rocked by a centrallydisposed handle 31. Any other kind of gearing may be associated with theaforesaid shafts to vary the leverage and render it easy to move thecatcher-frames to operative positions. It is desired that the rearwardmovement of the frames 23 be limited. and to accomplish this, I rigidlysecure to the shafts 25, a plurality of stops 32 which are engageablewith the tank as disclosed in Fig. 1. At this point, I wish to statethat any suitable means, such as pawl and ratchet mechanism (not shown)may be associated with the horizontal operating shaft permit the latterto rotate in a single ection only, and prevent the catcher bars frombeing moved open when once swung about the burglar. I also wish todirect attention to the fact that suitable signal mechanism 34 in theform of a push-button or the like may be employed to call forassistance. This signal mechanism, by preference, includes wires 35which may lead to a police station or to any other point of assistance.At this point, I wish to call attention tothe fact that the exteriorlydisposed wire 35 includes a detachable plug 36 which, when the tankbegins its chase, is pulled out. This being the case, it is, of course,first necessary to push the button 34 as soon as possible or necessary,at least before the chase begins.

It has been before intimated that this device is intended to be used inbanks and in use, it will be placed in an out-of-the-way position andwill be inhabited by the watchman. In case the ofiicials of the bank areheld up or an attempt is made to rob the bank by bandits, the watchmanwithin the tank is, of course, not seen. However, he may view thebandits through the peep-holes and at the same time, push the button 34to notify the is being rob d. Having motor 3 may be started and the tankwill begin to move toward one or more of the As before intimated, it maybe steered by manipulating the handle 7 In case, it is found necessaryto shoot, one of the doors 14 may be swung open and the watchman maypass his gun through the uncovered gun-opening 13. It is to be noted hatas soon as the gun barrel is removed from this opening. the coiledsprings 15 serve to automatically close this door 14. Thus, no shots (anbe fired through this opening by the bandits. By employing simplelatches for retaining all doors closed, no time need be lost inrendering these latches effective. I have found that it is advisablegglice that this particular bank I done this, the

. tank and novel to drive the tank to the door or other nearby place ofescape and turn it so that the) frames 23 will be positioned for "use.Now, if the burglar or burglars try to escape, the shaft 28 may berocked by moving the handle 31 up or down as the case may be and theangle bars 24 swun toward each other and caused to grab the urglar andhold him between them and the wall of the tank. As before stated, anysuitablemeans may be employed for retaining the frames in this position.It is to be noted that the bearings employed for the shafts are suchthat the frames 23 may be easily and readily moved to effectivepositions. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the bars of one frame arearranged in staggered relation with respect to the bars of the otherframe so that theywill not strike each other when brought to efiectiveposition. The burglar may thus be held safely until assistance arrives.When the occupant of the tank desires to leave the same, this may bedone, as before stated, by means of the door 8.- On the other hand,should he become injured or -shot, access to the tank can only be hadthrough the door 10 which is retained closed by means of akey-controlled lock 11. It is my intent that the key for use inconnection with thls lock be held by one of the higher ofiicials of thebank and that only he can make use ofthis door 10, it being impossibleto gain entrance to the tank through the door 8 which can only be openedfrom the inside.

WVhile I have described the device as being adapted for use in a bank orthe like, I wish it to be understood that it may well serve its purposein many other places.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be seen that I havedevised a device which will enable me to catch, chase, and hold burglarsor bandits with extreme safety to myself, this result being accomplishedby the employment of the armored catching and holding dGVlCG, So far asI am aware, the broad proposi tion of employing such a device is new andnovel. This beingthe case, I do not desire to limit myself to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts herein shown anddescribed. The catching frames may be varied considerably and the meansfor operating them may be either mechanically or manually controlled.Furthermore, the tank may be equipped inside with any number ofconveniences and safety devices. Then again, the means for movablymounting the tank may vary considerably. These and other withpeep-holes, ventilating means, doors,

gun openings, closures for the latter, and steering mechanism; adevicearranged on the exterior of the box for catching and holding aperson, being controlled from inside the box; and a signal deviceleading from the box to a nearby point of assistance.

4. A device of the class described comprising a portable armored tank,vertically spaced bearings arranged on the exterior thereof, shaftsjournaled in said bearings, catching and holding devices carried by saidshafts, stops on the latter to limit the movement thereof in onedirection, a manually controlled operating shaft inside of the tank, andintermeshing gears carried by all of the shafts.

5. A device of the class described com prising amotor driven portablearmored tank to be inhabited by a watchman, the same being equipped withone or more doors, a plurality of peep-holes, gun openings, means forautomatically closing the latter when not in use, an assistance signal,a ventilator and steering mechanism; vertically spaced laterallyextending brackets on the exterior of the tank including bearings;

shafts journaled in the bearings; stops carried. by the shafts andengageable with the tank to limit the movement of the shafts in onedirection; beveled gears on said shafts; a plurality of horizontalvertically spaced longitudinally curved arms carried by said shafts andfoldable against said tank, being designed to embrace and hold a person,an actuating shaft in the tank for imparting movement to said firstshaft; and gears on the ends of said actuating shaft meshing with theaforesaid gears.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 111 hand.

y STANLEY VALINSKI.

